June 20, 2023
1 min read

Diwali could soon become federal holiday in US

The Diwali Day Act would make the ‘Festival of Lights’ the 12th federally recognised holiday in the US…reports Asian Lite News

Congressman Jim Himes has agreed to support a bill introduced in the US Congress to declare Diwali as a federal holiday.

The Diwali Day Act, introduced by New York Congresswoman Grace Meng last month, would make the ‘Festival of Lights’ the 12th federally recognised holiday in the US when it is passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Himes’ support came after his meeting with prominent members of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin-Connecticut Chapter (GOPIO-CT) last week.

Led by GOPIO Chairman Thomas Abraham, the delegation also discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit from Wednesday to Friday.

The visit includes a state dinner as well as an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on Thursday.

Himes, who serves Connecticut’s fourth Congressional district, also discussed shortage of workers in hospitality and healthcare sectors, and delays faced by Indians in getting permanent resident cards, according to a GOPIO release.

Recently, the New York State legislature passed a Bill, led by Indian-American assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, to make Diwali a school holiday in the city.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the bill to make it a law, following which Mayor Eric Adams would be able to designate Diwali as a school holiday for an estimated two lakh students from these communities who celebrate it.

Earlier this year, Pennsylvania became the first US state to officially recognise Diwali as a public holiday.

The state introduced the Diwali holiday ahead of other states like California, Texas, Illinois, New York and New Jersey with a high concentration of Indian-Americans.

Michigan’s Indian-American state representative Ranjeev Puri, also introduced a bill last week to make Diwali, Vaishakhi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha and Lunar New Year as state-recognised holidays in the state.

ALSO READ: Diwali could soon be federal holiday in New York

Previous Story

Bangladesh keen to join BRICS

Next Story

Modi to visit Al-Hakim mosque in Egypt

Latest from -Top News

Mock drills held nationwide 

The nationwide mock drills are part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance civil defence capabilities and coinciding with the Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory action to it.   India conducted large-scale

India’s deepest strikes since 1971 

By extending its strike capabilities deep into Pakistan’s heartland, India has redrawn the contours of conventional deterrence in the subcontinent. This could embolden future Indian responses to cross-border terror attacks, but it

PM calls off Europe trip 

The visit was slated to include India’s participation in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on May 15–16.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has postponed his forthcoming visits to Norway, Croatia, and the

UK urges direct dialogue 

Describing the situation as a “serious concern,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged both nuclear-armed neighbours to avoid escalation and prioritise diplomatic avenues.  UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on India

Trump urges restraint between India, Pak 

Speaking on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Trump said that both India and Pakistan should work the crisis out  US President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed his concern over the escalating
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Elizabeth Holmes guilty in Theranos fraud trial

She is also guilty of conspiracy to defraud investors with

Wyndham Eyes India Expansion

The world’s largest hotel franchising company, Wyndham is set to